SAN JOSE, Calif., May 3, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- C-guys, Inc., a global leader in the design and development of SD and SDIO solutions for home, SOHO and SMB applications and TradeWind Technologies, LLC today announced they are teaming to offer the world's first SDIO RFID reader for Pocket PC. TradeWind will use CG-100 SDIO technology by C-guys to develop the solution. The product will be sold and branded under the C-guys' name.
RFID will soon replace bar codes on consumer and manufacturing goods as users can both read and write information on the tags. RFID tags will allow users to track shipments, take temperature readings and read any other information stored on the tag. The solution will allow Pocket PC users to take advantage of RFID technology. C-guys' CG-100 technology enables these users to obtain information from the tag more quickly than with previous solutions.
"TradeWind has lead the way in providing advanced RFID technology and was the first to introduce an RFID reader in the SD form factor. Partnering with TradeWind enables C-guys to expand its market presence and broaden its customer base," stated Keith Hirayama, CEO of C-guys. "It has always been our goal to provide high-performance, next-generation technology, and with TradeWind, we are able to continue to meet that goal and enable our customers to experience new applications."
"C-guys specializes in SD and SDIO technology, so working with them to develop a Pocket PC version of our RFID reader practically guaranteed product success," stated Doug Yeager, CEO of TradeWind. "With C-guys' CG-100 technology, we've noticed a dramatic increase in performance. This ultimately benefits our customers as together, we are now providing a solid handheld solution for RFID technology."
The CG-100 is the flagship SDIO application interface controller developed by C-guys. It converts an application signal to an SD signal (or vice versa) and provides the ideal design and development environment for creating SDIO related applications such as wireless, GPS, memory, etc. It does this by simply connecting to a specific application without the need to modify the application's software. The CG-100 was designed and has been proven to significantly reduce product development time and cost. The solution also supports UART, PCMCIA and memory.
The CG-100 is a single-chip semiconductor supporting multiple interfaces using a single SD bus, which include:
-- An SD interface that deciphers commands received from an SDIO
host
-- An SD interface that returns the necessary response for
incoming commands
-- An SD interface for one or multiple applications
-- A temporary (R/W FIFO) memory support between the SD
interface and the application interface
The TradeWind patent pending SDIO RFID card enables many handheld devices to read or write standard and proprietary RFID 13.56Mhz tags and labels. The reader fits into any standard SD/SDIO slot and extends outside the slot for a small external footprint of 28mm x 28mm. The reader also has a low 11mm profile and a read range of 7cm.
The C-guys RFID SDIO card development kit for Pocket PC will be available in June at an MSRP of $999.00. The SDIO cards themselves will be available for much less. For more information on C-guys and its products, please visit the company web site at http://www.c-guysusa.com.
About C-guys, Inc.
C-guys, Inc., based in Japan, is a leading global designer and manufacturer of Secure Digital (SD) controllers, memory cards, adapters and card readers for the home, SOHO and small-to-medium business markets. C-guys' strong industry alliances with leading WLAN chip makers and consumer electronics manufacturers have allowed the company to continue to lead the industry in the development of innovative, versatile and easy-to-use solutions for consumers and businesses alike. For additional information on C-guys, please visit www.c-guysusa.com.
About TradeWind Technologies
TradeWind Technologies LLC develops and manufactures flexible and low-cost advanced radio frequency identification (RFID) systems for VARs and Systems Integrators to meet the demands of emerging RFID markets worldwide. TradeWind Technologies' RFID systems support a full range of ISO, EPC and industry standard RFID tags and smart labels. TradeWind Technologies is based in Oak Ridge, Tennessee and can be reached at 865-927-0730 or http://www.tradewindtek.com.